Fluid pressure actuated diaphragm valve with hush tube



1956 G. M. STOUT ET AL FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED DIAPHRAGM VALVE WITH HUSH TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed. Nov. 6. 1948 2 In" 1 In 3 mi 3 mM fl w n m m m aJ w s 4 4 9 m 4 m a 5 r .IIH I iwlll 2 k .4 no; 9 .4 J. 2

k. 3 A a u WW 4 Jan. 24, 1956 G. M. STOUT ET AL FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED DIAPHRAGM VALVE WITH HUSH TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6. 1948 In the top of the cap 21 is a deep radial channel 41 and at the axis of said cap is a round hole 42 that is deeper than the channel 41. The diameter of the hole 42 is considerably larger than the width of the channel 41. On the bottom of the hole, at the axis thereof, is a truncated cone 43 that is an integral part of the cap 21 and through said cone the outlet port 40 extends. The top of the cone 43 affords a seat 44 for a seal that closes the outlet port 40, as will presently appear. The purpose of the cone 43 is to prevent dirt or other foreign matter from lodging on the seat 44.

The sides of the cap 21, opposite the channel 41, are flattened at 45 for the application of a wrench for use in applying the cap 21 to the body member 20. A circumferentially extended annular channel 46 is formed in the cap 21 at its intermediate portion. On the cap 21 below the channel 46 is a coarse external screw-thread 47. The section of the cap 21 between the channels 41 and 46 is of a larger diameter than the threaded portion 47.

A silencing or hush tube 48 surrounds the body member and the upper portion of the water pipe section 28 and is spaced outwardly therefrom. The upper end portion of the tube 48 is attached to the cap 21 by the screw-thread 47, with its upper end engaging the cap 21 on the upper side of the channel 46 and holds said tube suspended from the cap 21. Water from the discharge .ports 33 strikes the inner surface of the silencing tube 48 and flows downwardly thereon and into the tank 7.

One end portion of a float arm 49 extends endwise into one end portion of the channel 41 and is attached to the cap 21 by a long pivot pin 50 for vertical swinging movement. This pivot pin 50 extends through a pair of aligned holes 51 in the cap 21 between the hole 42 and the outer side of the cap 21. A second pair of aligned holes 52, similar to the holes 51, extend through the cap 21 on the opposite side of the hole 42 from the holes 51. The purpose of the second pair of aligned holes 52 is to permit the float arm 49 to be attached to the cap 21 in reverse order from that shown. On the outer end of the float arm 49 is a float 53 and on the inner end thereof is a seal 54 for closing the outlet port 40. This seal 54, as shown, is a rubber sleeve encircling the float arm 49. When the water level in the tank 7 is up to normal, the float 53 holds the float arm 49 with the seal 54 pressed onto the seat 44 and thereby closes the outlet port 40.

It will be noted that when the closure member 32 is on its seat 31 and closing the passageway 27, the area of its upper side exposed to water pressure in the pressure chamber 26 is materially larger than the area of its under side exposed to water pressure in the passageway 27. These unequal water pressures on the closure member 32 securely hold said closure member on its seat 31, see Fig. 4. When the closure member 32 is open, as shown in Fig. 5, the area of its upper side is materially reduced by the anti-collapse ring 36 with which the closure member 32 is in contact, and the entire area of said closure member is exposed to water pressure from the inlet chamber 25.

When the handle 14 is manually operated to lift the ball 12 from its seat 13 to drain the tank 7 and flush the water closet, the float 53 moves downwardly with the lowering water level and lifts the seal 54 from its seat 44, opens the outlet port 40 and thus'releases water pressure on the upper side of the closure member 32 that holds the same closed. Lowering of the float 53 is limited by the engagement of the float arm 49 with the cap 21 at the bottom of the channel 41. With the water pressure on the upper side of the closure member 32 released, the water pressure on the under side thereof upwardly buckles the closure member 32, lifts the same from its seat 31 and opens the passageway 27 for the flow of water therefrom to the discharge ports to fill the tank 7. Buckling of the closure member 32 presses the same against the lower end of the anti-collapse ring 36 and thus materially reduces the area of the upper side of the closure member 32 exposed to the pressure of the water in the pressure chamber 26. This buckling of the closure member 32 exposes the entire under side thereof to water pressure.

, During the filling of the tank 7 from the discharge ports 33, the float 53 is finally lifted into a position in which the float arm 49 presses the seal 54 onto its seat 44 and closes the outlet port 40. With the closing of the outlet port 40, the pressure chamber 26 will be filled with water entering the same through the inlet port 39 until unit water pressure on both sides of the closure member 32 is the same. But as the effective area of the upper or convex side of the closure member 32 is somewhat larger than the effective area of the lower or concave side of the closure member 32, the unequal water pressure on said closure member will start the closing thereof and the initial closing movement of the closure member 32 will move the same away from the engaged anti-collapse ring 36 and thus expose the entire upper surface of the closure member 32 to the water pressure in the pressure chamber 26 and force said closure member onto its seat 31 and close the passageway 27.

From a broad viewpoint, the cap 21 is the top of the body member 20 and is so treated in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a commercial form of the invention, but it will be understood that the same is capable of certain modifications as to details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

What we claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a depending hush tube, a cap closing the upper end of the tube and having a depending cylindrical portion extending into the tube and secured thereto, a body member having an upstanding cylindrical portion extending into the depending cylindrical portion of the cap and having screwthreaded engagement therewith, said body member also having a depending cylindrical portion spaced from the tube, an upright pipe extending into the depending cylindrical portion of the body member and secured thereto, an axial passageway in the body member and a seat surrounding the same, an axial port in the cap, a discharge port in the body member above said seat and leading from the interior of the upstanding cylindrical portion thereof, a closure member for said seat having an upstanding cylindrical retaining member telescoped into the upstanding cylindrical portion of the body member, said retaining member having on its upper end an outturned flange clamped between the cap and the upper end of the upstanding cylindrical portion of the body member, an anti-collapse sleeve in the retaining member, and a small axial port in the closure member.

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having an upper chamber and a lower chamber, a partition between the chambers and having a communicating passageway connecting the chambers and a seat in the upper chamber surrounding the passageway, a closure member normally resting on the seat and closing the passageway, said closure member having at its perimeter an upstanding cylindrical retaining member, and an anticollapse tubular member in the retaining member and holding the same pressed against the body member, said tubular member at its lower end being spaced above the seat and the closure member when said closure member is resting on the seat, at least one port in the body member leading from the upper chamber between the seat and the lower end of the tubular member and normally closed by the closure member and its retaining member, said closure member and its retaining member being formed of a flexible material whereby the closure member may be buckled upwardly into the tubular member and its retaining member folded around the lower end of the tubular member to lift the closure member from the seat and open the passageway and the port.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 further including a port extending through the closure member, and a second port leading from the upper chamber.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 further including a boss on the under side of the closure member, a port extending through the closure member and the boss, and a second port leading from the upper chamber.

5. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the closure member is relatively thick and its tubular member relatively thin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 269,886 Semple Jan. 2, 1883 281,608 Browne July 17, 1883 6 Bumpus May 26, 1903 Weaver June 22, 1909 Banta May 16, 1922 Protzer Mar. 29, 1932 Pratt Oct. 25, 1932 Landis Oct. 16, 1934 Saunders Feb. 19, 1935 Teahen Sept. 3, 1940 Langdon Aug. 14, 1945 Griswold Feb. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland May 16, 1949 France 1939 Sweden 1941 Great Britain May 1, 1928 

